Making Refill Tablets
Find innovative production technology for making refill tablets and connect directly with world-leading specialists
The wave of liquid soaps and detergents in the 1950s revolutionized home and personal care. Cheap and convenient, these off-the-shelf products fit perfectly into the lifestyle of the time. A few decades later, though, plastic waste put the sustainability of hygiene products into question. Refill tablet production technology answers that by eliminating single-use plastic. Instead of picking up a new bottle every time, end-users complete the formulation process in a multi-use container and with a simple instruction: just add water.
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Apply wet granulation to facilitate the flowability of tablet materials in production technology
Before compressing the mixture into a tablet, granulate the fine particles to improve flowability throughout processing. The wet granulation technique introduces 1-4% water or solvent to the formula to bind particles together.
Add moisture-absorbing materials such as microcrystalline cellulose or silicon dioxide to remove any excess fluids.
Pre-compress the mix before forming with compaction technology
The ease of use of refill products comes down to their physical form. Indeed, compression is the crucial step in refill tablet manufacturing.
Compaction technology presses the granulate into a cohesive mono-dose that can break up in the right liquid conditions. But excessive die-wall pressure on the particles could develop cracks later in the process. Subject the formula to pre-compression to prevent this kind of capping and lamination.
Enhance the sensory impact with your signature additives
Formulas for refill tablets vary by their intended use. For example, citric acid is a suitable cleaning agent in a bathroom cleaner mix, while sodium sulfate performs that action in a hand soap tablet.
The sensory effect is equally important. Calcium carbonate, among other additives, has a brightening effect; sodium laureth sulfate acts as a foaming agent. Mix scents and dyes to improve the consumer appeal of the refill tablets.
Add a disintegrant to ease tablet dissolution in water
The test of the refill tablet production lies in the dissolution of the dose. Once popped in its water container, the compacted formula must dissolve quickly and evenly, distributing the particles in the liquid.
Polyethylene glycol is an inactive ingredient that speeds up the disintegration of the tablet. Sesquicarbonates like sodium glycine carbonate are a class of petroleum-free alternatives that perform the same function.
Package refill tablets in water-tight wrapping film
One of the main advantages of refill tablets is that they significantly reduce water usage from the production line. Unlike liquid detergents and soaps, it is the final consumer that mixes in the water, decreasing the impact of large-volume transportation.
Wrap the tablets in humidity and air-resistant film to avoid premature dissolution. Individual packaging also makes storage and application easier for consumers.
Processing steps involved in refill tablets making
Which refill tablets technology do you need?
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